Buddhism and the Political Process

Beschreibung

In its interpretation of Buddhism both as a cultural heritage and social ideology, this edited volume seeks to understand how Buddhist values and world views have impacted on the political process of many countries in Asia. In their respective work in Myanmar, Thailand, Sri Lanka, China, Japan and Tibet, the contributors engage with an interactive typology originally proposed by the late Ian Harris, to whom the book is dedicated. Adopting an interdisciplinary approach, they explore the interaction between Buddhism and politics, religious authority and political power, considering issues that concern the politicization of monks, proliferation of violence, leadership, citizenship, democracy and communalism in order to further understand the interface between Buddhism and politics in modern and contemporary times.

This study examines the impact of Buddhism on the political process of Asian countries in recent times. The intersection between Buddhism and politics; religious authority and political power is explored through the engagement of Buddhist monks and lay activists in the process of nation-building, development, and implementation of democracy.

Autor*in

Hiroko Kawanami

Themen in »Buddhism and the Political Process«

Buddhism International Relations Myanmar Thailand Sri Lanka China Japan Tibet Buddhist Political Culture Political Monks Buddhist Monks Communalism Democracy Citizenship Political Process

Stimmen zu »Buddhism and the Political Process«

“This is an important and scholarly collection of case studies – a fitting memorial to Ian Harris – which should finally put to bed the notion that there can only be one kind of relationship between Buddhism and politics, namely, avoidance and pacifist moral guidance.” (David N. Gellner, Professor of Social Anthropology, University of Oxford, UK)

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